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NBA mourns death of Zeke Upshaw, G League player who collapsed during game

Zeke Upshaw of the Grand Rapids Drive high-fives coaches and teammates during a game on March 23, 2018. Upshaw collapsed on the court late in Saturday’s game against the Long Island Nets. He died in the hospital on Monday morning. He was 26. (Getty)

Upshaw was standing on the court in the final minute of Saturday’s game between Grand Rapids, the G League affiliate of the Detroit Pistons, and the Long Island Nets, the minor league club of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets, before he fell to the floor, team representative Sarah Jbara told Mlive.com. Medical personnel took Upshaw, a 6-foot-6 swingman who played college basketball at Illinois State and Hofstra before spending a couple of seasons playing in Europe, off the court on a stretcher and to a local hospital.

Upshaw’s mother, Jewel Upshaw, released a statement through the Drive on Monday to confirm that her son’s fight had ended:

Statement from Jewel Upshaw, Zeke's mother: “After continued efforts from the medical team at Spectrum Health, Zeke made his transition at 11:16 am. To family, friends, teammates, coaches, fans & confidants, thank you for your prayers and support during this most difficult time. pic.twitter.com/1AutFtIFwU

Jewel Upshaw (continued): "Details of his memorial will be announced at a later date. We’d like to thank the many doctors and nurses at Spectrum Health for their efforts in caring for our son. We’d also like to thank the Drive for the support they have extended to our family.” pic.twitter.com/sSLsWvfTny

Hearing about the passing of Zeke Upshaw has me in a emotional state, once I was laid out on the floor the same way not knowing what would come about…all I can do is say a prayer for his family and thank GOD I’m still here man this is terrible news

I’m heartbroken hearing about the passing of Zeke Upshaw. 26 years old – out there just doing something that he loves. If I can help their family in anyway, @PistonsGT / @DetroitPistons, let me know. This just makes me so sad for his family and friends.

“The NBA G League family is devastated by the tragic passing of Zeke Upshaw,” G League President Malcolm Turner said in a statement. “Zeke was an outstanding young man whose powerful belief in himself and uncommon perseverance led to a successful professional basketball career. A beloved member of the Grand Rapids Drive, Zeke’s continuous improvement and tireless work ethic were hallmarks of his career. We extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends and the Drive organization.”